Automatic stop for railways.



J. G. SPARKS.

AUTOMATIC STOP FOR RAILWAYS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 24. I9I3.

Patented Oct. 26, 1915.

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wim/8858 h4 0 LIT 26 @YW `Q0 ATTORNEYS COLUMBIA PLANOURAPH C0.. WASHINGTON. D. c..

.|. G. SPARKS.

AUTOMATIC STOP FOR RAILWAYS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 24. i913.

Patented Oct. 26, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

coLuMulA PLANOGRAPH co.,wAsHlNuToN. D4 cA .i'oHN G. sranKs, or New YoRK, N. Y.

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Specification ofLetters Patent.

)Patented Uct. 26, 1915.

Application led March 24, 1913. Serial N o. 756,382.

To all whom t 'may concern.'

Be it known that I. JOHN G. SPARKS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and Sta-te of New York, have invented a new and Improved Automatic Stop for Railways, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to railway equip ment and has particular reference to safety appliances serving to prevent the possibility of a train running past a danger signal or open draw by reason of the carelessness or disability of the engineer.

Among the objects ofthe invention more definitely stated is to provide an improved mechanism operativeA through a movable detent along the railway track to cause, first, the power to be shut off, and secondly, the application of the air brakes in the event that a danger signal should be passed.

A further object of the invention is to generally improve this characterof devices whereby they are rendered more reliable for practical purposes.

The foregoingV and other objects of this invention will hereinafter be more fully described and claimed and illustrated in the drawings forming a part of this specification in which like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views, and in which-- Figure 1 is a transverse section through the engineers cab showing the relation of the improved mechanism to the throttle lever, the section being substantially on the broken line 1-1 of Fig. 2; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a plan view of the throttle and associated parts; Fig. L is a rear elevation of the same; and Fig. 5 is a detailed view in vertical transverse section of the detent mechanism.

The several parts of the device may be made of any suitable materials and the relative sizes andproportions, as well as the general arrangement thereof, may be varied to a considerable extent without departing from the spirit of the invention hereinafter more fully set forth and specifically claimed.

For a more detailed description it will be noted that l show at 10 a diagrammatic view of an engineers cab having any usual or well known form of throttle lever 11 having connection through a rod 12 with the steam cut off (not shown). A quadrant 13 is suitably associated with the throttle lever so as to provide a means for locking the lever in any desired position by means of a pivoted dog 111. A spring 15 of any suitable nature is arranged so as to have a normal tendency to move the throttle lever to shut off the steam, such spring being shown as connected to one end of the frame ofthe cab and at the other end to the lever adjacent the handle.

A trip member 16 shown in the form of a plate mounted on a transverse horizontal pivot 17 is carried by a support or frame 18 in substantially close contact with the track 19, and at any suitable place with respect to the rails either between them or on the outside. The support 18 is connected to the locomotive and suitably braced so as to maintain it in proper position. The trip member has an arm 16 extending upwardly from the pivot and to such arm is connected the lower end of a chain or other iexible connection 20 suitably guided up through the cab and iinally over a drum or pullev 21 mounted preferably on a horizontal pivot 22 and thereby directing the upper end of the chain to its point of connection 23 with the dog 14- A tension'device 24 is suitably arranged to operate upon the chain by means of a spring 25.

The trip mechanism includes a vertically movable detent 26 normally housed within a casing 27 but through the upper end of which the point 26 of the detent is adapted to be projected, as shown in Fig. 2, when the semaphore or other signal mechanism is set for danger. The casing 27 is normally closed by a cap 28 which is free to be lifted by the detent when it is lifted to operating position. The purpose of the cap is to exclude rain or snow which would possibly prevent the proper operation of the device. A lever 29 is pivoted on a horizontal pivot 30 within a lateral extension 31 of the casing. One end 32 of the lever is provided with a ball having loose connection with the lower end of the detent. The other end of the lever is connected at 33 with the signal mechanism, whereby, when the semaphore arm 34, for instance, is set at the danger position, the end 33 of the lever will be depressed, as shown in Fig. 1, and cause the detent 26 to be lifted, as shown in Fig. 2. The cap 28, when lifted, may tumble from its position or remain upon the upper end of danger point will cause the trip 16 to engage the detent, turning the trip upon its pivot 17 and causing the chain 20 to unlock the dog lat from the-quadrant 18, setting the throttle .leverl free to be closedvby the springV and thereby shutting off the steam. The tension device 24 has suiicient force acting Vfnpon the chain to prevent back-lash or reverse movement of the chain Q0. But forv such tension device the spring 35 at the handle end of the throttle lever might cause the dog to rengage the quadrant before the spring 15 may have had time to serve its purpose inasmuch as the time of engagement 1 between the trip 16 and the 'detent is comparatively short.

At 36 is shown an air pipe which may be a part of the usual train line system or an extension thereof, and at87 is a branch leading from the pipe 36 normally closed by a valve 38. A finger 39 connected to the valve 38 extends downwardly in position to engage the detent 26 at any suitable time after the trip 16 has operated to cause the shutting off of the steam; hence, the brakes will be applied without delay soon after the steam is shutoff.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In an automatic train stop, a danger ysignal a detent arranged adjacent the track rails, a connection between the signal and detent whereby the latter will be moved into operative position when the signal is set to danger, a pivoted trip carried by and arranged below the locomotive and adapted to be engaged by the detent, a spring pressed throttle lever, manually controlled means for locking the lever in any desired position, and a flexible connection between the trip and the said locking means.

2. In an automatic train stop, a detent arranged adjacent the track rails, a. pivoted trip carried by and arranged below the locomotive and adapted to be engaged by the detent, a spring pressed throttle lever, means for locking the lever in position including a pivoted and manually controlled dog carried by the lever, and a flexible member having one end secured to the dog and the other end to the trip.

3. In an automatic train stop, the combination with a throttle lever and a spring operated dog to normally lock the lever in position, of means connected with the lever tending to close the throttle, a flexible connection connected at one end to the dog, means to draw upon the flexible connection when the train passes a danger point, and a tension device cooperating with said flexible connection serving to prevent reverse movement of the iexible connection due to the spring acting normally upon the dog, substantially as' and for the purposes set forth. In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN G. SPARKS. Witnesses:

GEO. L. BEELER, PHILIP D. RoLLHAUs.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

